


let everything cool down

by disastermovie



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, Post-Movie: Pacific Rim (2013)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27752530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disastermovie/pseuds/disastermovie
Summary: Sapporo holds its first snow festival since the Breach was closed. Mako and Raleigh visit.
Relationships: Raleigh Becket/Mako Mori
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	let everything cool down

**Author's Note:**

> Don't really know where this came from. I felt like writing a Mako/Raleigh fic and was feeling nostalgic over the time I went to the Sapporo Snow Festival, so here's this. I wrote this between 10pm and midnight without proofreading. If there's any typos or weird phrasing, that's why.
> 
> Title translated from ["Que Entre El Frío" by Niña Tormenta](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fks-X7Ls--8).

"I can't remember the last time I had baby castella." Mako is smiling as she says it, a small, soft thing.

Raleigh is basking in the heat of the vendor's stall, but the look on Mako's face warms him up from the inside out. "Hope they're as good as you remember."

He hands her the paper bag. It's rare, to see that kind of childlike excitement on Mako's face. When her face lit up at the sight of the stall, mentioning her favorite childhood treat, Raleigh nearly dragged her in line himself. He has no idea if the little cakes are overpriced - really, everything at the festival is expensive, not that he particularly cares.

When Mako pops one of the castellas into her mouth, her eyes crinkle in happiness, and Raleigh decides that he would pay anything if it made her this happy.

"They're just like I remember. Here, you try one." She holds up a castella for him to take.

Raleigh leans in to bite it out of her hand - Mako snorts - and chews thoughtfully. It's soft and honey-sweet. He's not one for deserts, really, but it's not bad.

"It's good," he says. "Sweet."

Mako grins. "My mom used to buy these for me in Tokyo. They were shaped like cartoon characters, sometimes. I always thought those tasted better." She eats another one. "But I can settle for these."

It's rare for her to mention her parents. Pentecost comes up pretty often. Jake, too, but he's not one of Mako's ghosts. The only person she discusses less than her parents is Chuck, but Raleigh knows she's gotten as much closure on that as she's gonna get.

She and Herc met up a few weeks ago. Raleigh spent the whole time pacing their apartment, stress-cleaning and fighting against texting her how she was. By the time Mako got back that night, they were both a mess, but she slept the whole night through. Herc even called him the next day, wishing him the best.

Case in point - Raleigh is surprised to hear Mako mention her mother so casually. He can count the times she's done so on one hand. Raleigh wants to ask so much - what was their time in Tokyo like, did her mother also like castella, did they ever talk about visiting Saporro in the winter - but he holds them all back. Mako doesn't like talking about the time before Pentecost adopted her. Raleigh's only recently been able to talk about Yancy, himself. Whatever memory Mako's thinking of, its a nice one. He hopes she'll tell him about it someday.

They loiter around the stall for a bit, warming themselves up and enjoying their snack before continuing their way through the festival. It's the first one in seven years and the streets are packed with people enjoying the sculptures. Even with the crowds, it's still freezing, so Mako ends up folding up the bag and sneaking her free hand hand into Raleigh's pocket. They fumble a little, but manage to twine their fingers together by the time they've reached the centerpieces of the event.

They stand there in the crowd, looking at the life-size busts of Gypsy Danger and Striker Eureka thoughtfully.

"I know they said life-size," says Raleigh, only somewhat distracted by the pianist at the base of the busts in a giant inflatable snow globe. "But I didn't really expect..." He gestures at the snow sculptures.

Mako hums. She lets go of Raleigh's hand and opens the bag. "Are they?"

Raleigh shakes his head when she offers him a cake. "Life-size?"

She nods. "I don't know. I remembered them being... bigger." She eats the castella herself.

Raleigh looks at the sculptures again, pulling his scarf a little tighter around him. A father physically pulls his kid away before he crawls up Striker Eureka. Raleigh has to crane his neck to see the whole helmet. "A year makes it fuzzier, I guess."

Mako considers another castella. "I guess. This is the last one, by the way."

He looks at her, surprised.

She shrugs. "I told you, they're my favorite."

He holds his hands up. "Please, go ahead."

She bumps their elbows together and does so. After enjoying the last bite, she crumples up the paper bag, pocketing it in lieu of a trash can. "Do you want to keep going? Or will you freeze before we make it to the hotel?"

Raleigh huffs and watches his breathe in front of him. "I was raised in Alaska; I can handle a little cold."

"Alright, alright," says Mako, reaching back into his pocket to take his hand again. "Your face is _very_ red, though."

"Its not that bad."

Mako visibly fights a giggle and loses.

"It's not!"

"Raleigh, I love you, but your nose makes you look like Rudolph."

He's not sure what kind of face he makes. Whatever Mako sees there, she bursts into laughter, loud and bright. Raleigh can't help but laugh a little himself.

"I can wait till the hotel," he says, dragging her along the path. "Let's at least see the giant snow man over there."

"Sounds good to me." She cozies up next to him. Her cheeks are pink in the cold. "There's sledding here, too. Further down the path, see?"

Raleigh nods. They make their way down, melding into the crowd. As they slow, he can't help but press his cheek against her beanie, before turning his head slightly to kiss her forehead. Mako tilts her head up, smiling.

"I'll get you more castellas before we leave."

"I can buy them myself, you know."

"I know. I want to."

She squeezes his hand. "Okay, then."

He squeezes back. "Love you," he says, because he can.

Mako's eyes crinkle again. "I know."

Raleigh's heart grows three sizes.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact about me: ball/baby castella was my favorite street food when I lived in Japan. I also saw a pianist in a giant inflatable snow globe when I went to the festival (it was the 62nd one, I think) and did some sledding. Look up some photos - the sculptures are amazing.
> 
> I'm on tumblr at [diydumpsterdiving](https://diydumpsterdiving.tumblr.com/).


End file.
